Preppers and Drones the Good the Bad and the Ugly

Auto Follow, or “Air Dog” drones are just the latest in drone technology. Drones may at some point become as common as cell phones. Cell phones with their videos and cameras, which seem to record virtually every event happening.

Auto Follow drones are designed to follow anyone wearing a special tracking bracelet, and through a Smartphone app, the drone can fly to a set point using the apps’ pre-loaded loaded maps as well. The drone can fly to and then, record events at the set point and then fly back without you having to be at the controls.

Obviously, the drones can be used for surveillance during a SHTF situation, if you have the means to recharge the drones’ batteries and camera systems and have access to apps if needed to operate the drones. Many “ifs” when it comes to using drones when the grid is down. However, the drones can also be used for training before disaster strikes.

What better way to track your family or Prepper group’s progress than having real time video, taken from above of their training as they move about. One member of the family or team would need to wear a tracking bracelet so the drone can automatically follow and record them.

Having an Air Dog drone in the air recording in real time would be ideal to evaluate escape and evasion tactics for example. Use the drones to evaluate perimeter security procedures as guards move about and you can set up, and adjust fields of fire as well.

You literally would have a “bird’s eye view of the situation on the ground allowing you to adjust as needed. You can evaluate your own training by wearing the tracking bracelet as you move about and when the training session is over you can view the video to critique your performance.

You can program the drones to fly to a certain spot, record activities in real time and fly back so you can evaluate training or other activities at remote locations without having to be there.

Of Course, If You Have the Technology to Do This Others Can Have It As Well

If someone knows of, suspects where you supply caches are, or where your group is training at, they can program a drone to do spot checks and record activity at those locations. An operator would not have to be at the controls, they would simply program the drone to fly to a specific spot on the map, record the scene and fly back.

You may or may not be able to spot the drone. Some drones can reach hundreds of feet in height making it very difficult for you to spot one unless you are aggressively searching for one.

New technology like drones illustrates the need for Operational Security (OPSEC). Given all of the Smart Phones out there in the world with their cameras and videos and add drones to this, it makes it difficult to hide your activities in some cases.

Once the SHTF and the grid goes down those with back up energy sources like generators, wind and solar will have a great advantage over those that do not have an alternative energy source.

Imagine if you could program a drone to do surveillance over a certain area while you performed other tasks. You could keep track of looters, marauders, the local authorities and other Prepper groups as well as monitor family members if you have to leave for any reason.

To do this in a grid down situation however, you would need the ability to recharge devices. Technology while amazing must rely on human operators to keep all those gadgets and gizmos supplied with energy.

Avoid Patterns

Do not be the person that grabs a coffee and some breakfast at the same place every Saturday morning and then drives out to your cache site to make sure no one has pilfered your supplies. Most people could care less about what you do on Saturdays, but you are not worried about most people. You need to worry about the one or two people who show more interest than what would be normal.

To avoid establishing patterns you have to think about each move you make, otherwise you become so accustomed to doing it you make it easy for others to track you. If someone gets a general location, he or she can do surveillance from afar using a drone or even game cameras.

If someone knows, you go to certain place on a regular basis that person can install a surveillance system or use a drone to determine what you are really doing. You can of course reveal the exact location of your caches or reveal other sensitive information.

Hanging on to your supplies once the SHTF will be a monumental task, and it may be one of the hardest tasks you will have.